Jedi Paths
by Torie46
Summary: The Sequel to "The Way of the Jedi" after Return of the Jedi" in the "Legends" Universe from "The Truce at Bakura" to "The Courtship of Princess Leia."
1. Rescue and Trauma

Jedi Paths

Chapter 1- Rescue and Trauma

**A/N: Here is the sequel to "Way of the Jedi." This story goes from "Truce at Bakura" to "The Courtship of Princess Leia as Lena's story will go into the "Legends" storyline and not the one by J.J. Abrams. So in the course of these stories we get Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin Solo, Tenel Ka, Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker, and the battles that were in the books. And if anyone wants to see Lena find love and get married let me know. I have been considering and had some thoughts to a man I could make to be her soulmate. **

* * *

Lena Organa Skywalker felt worn out. This was a strange tired. Lena had never gone to bed tired and woke up tired in all her years in the Imperial Senate or in the Rebel Alliance. Considering they had defeated the Empire just the day before, Lena should have felt ready to roll up her sleeves and get back to work, but on this day she had woken up sore all over and her vision had been doubling since her near-electrocution just the day before by Emperor Palpatine. If Darth Vader hadn't of stepped in and became hers and Luke's father again, who knew if she would have survived. She would have become one with the Force.

Lena's thoughts then went to Anakin Skywalker. Her father had died so she could live, but Luke had said that he wasn't ready to tell anyone that Anakin Skywalker had become Darth Vader. Lena could see the point. So far everyone knew that Vader had killed the emperor, but not the reasons why. Lena's adopted father, Talon Orran, had seen the wisdom behind Luke's decision and had said that until such time Luke felt ready, they would keep Darth Vader's true identity a secret along with Leia being Luke and Lena's triplet sister. As far as it looked, Leia hadn't accepted the idea that she was a Skywalker like Luke and Lena or that Vader was her father too. Han, Leia's boyfriend, seemed to have accepted it when they told him, but Han would have accepted it if Leia had told him her grandmother was a Gungan.

Lena entered the hangar at the same time her brother did. "Hey, Luke," Lena greeted him with a wan smile.

"Hey, Lena. You look terrible," Luke said, not beating around the bush.

"Thanks for noticing, brother. I know I slept, but I don't feel like I slept at all," Lena said as she looked at all the techs running checks on the ships.

"Force visions?" Luke asked.

No, I don't think so. If I had one of those, I'd go and tell Papa." Lena said as a tech ran by.

"What's up?" Luke asked a tech as he plugged Artoo into Luke's x-wing.

"Oh, Sir, your relief pilot is going out. Captain Antilles came back on the first shuttle and went on patrol immediately. He intercepted an Imperial drone ship- one of those antiques they used for carrying messages back before the Clone Wars. Incoming from deep space," the tech said as he finished connecting Artoo in the socket.

"I guess not all the Imperials know that the Empire was defeated. Why don't you go, brother. You aren't that worn out. I'll go join Leia and Papa in the war room," Lena said.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked.

"I'm positive. I'd only be in your way with the double vision and fatigue. If my eyes don't clear, I might accidentally shoot one of ours or fall asleep in my x-wing," Lena said dryly.

"Well, there is a problem, Your Highness. Captain Antilles touched off a self-destruct button while trying to release its message codes. He is manually blocking a critical gap-" the tech started to say before Luke interrupted him.

"Cancel the relief pilot," Luke ordered and ran off to the room where the flight suits were kept. Lena all but ran to the war room, keeping Force open so she would know what Luke was doing to rescue Wedge.

Lena entered the war room. Leia, Talon, Mon Mothma, Crix Madine, and Admiral Ackbar was around the circular table. Talon looked up, favoring Lena with a smile. Talon had been the one to raise her when Anakin Skywalker fell and hers, Luke's and Leia's mother Padme Amidala had died on the day she was born. Talon had always liked children and he was an easy choice to raise Lena. Behind every one on the seats Lena caught a glimpse of her eight-year-old adoptive sister, Cora. Lena sat next to her as her vision doubled again.

"Are you all right, Lena?" Cora asked, touching Lena's black-clad knee gently. Lena's style of Jedi robes was that of Anakin Skywalker before he fell; brown and black. "I'm okay, little sister. I just feel a little tired," Lena said with a wan smile.

"Are you sure, sweetheart? You look terrible," Talon said, walking over to his two daughters. Lena made a face.

"Papa, you're the second person to say that. Luke just said it," Lena said sourly.

"But it's true. You look like a rancor chewed you up and spat you back out," Cora said.

"Oh, thanks a lot," Lena said as she got to her feet only to have a dizzy spell hit her right between the eyes that caused her feet to go out from under her.

"Lena! Okay, that's it. You are going to see Too-Onebee," Talon said, scooping her up in his arms like he used to when she was little and heading off to the infirmary.

* * *

Talon watched as Two-One-Bee did his examination of Lena and Wedge. Luke had just brought Wedge in and Wedge looked more shaken than injured, which was more than could be said for Lena. Lena looked over at the pilot. "Is Wedge okay?" Lena asked after coming to and the droid moved the scanner from Wedge to her.

"He will be fine, Your Highness. Commander Skywalker's lightsaber did no lasting damage. Now we need to check you," the droid said, making a brief mention that Luke had to cut Wedge free with his lightsaber.

"I'm all right. Just tired," Lena protested.

"Please, Your Highness. This will only take a moment," the droid said.

"Lena, do as he says," Luke said, holding Lena's hand tightly.

"Okay? May I go now?" Lena asked, slightly stiffly a few minutes later.

"One moment more. One moment. Have you experienced double vision recently, Your Highness?" Two-One-Bee asked, coming away from the scanner's screen.

"Well, yes, but for the most part they have been brief and for a minute. Why you ask?" Lena said.

"You are not well, Highness," the droid said

"I'm just tired," Lena said.

"Your Highness, my diagnosis is sudden and massive calcification of your skeletal structure, of the rare type brought on by severely conductive exposure to electrical and other energy fields," the droid said. The realization then hit Talon between the eyes. The Force lighting that Palpatine had hit her with before Anakin killed the old despot! Lena was suffering from the effects of being hit.

"So what are the effects in general?" Luke asked.

"The abrupt drop in blood minerals is causing muscular microseizures all over her body, Sir," Two-One-Bee said in his dispassionate robotic voice.

"But it is not permanent damage, is it? You don't have to replace bones?" Lena asked, the revusion to having her bones replaced clearly on her face.

"The condition will become chronic unless you rest and allow me to treat you. The alternative is bacta immersion," Two-One Bee said. Lena grimaced.

"No to the bacta. I will take a rest instead," Lena said, leaning back on her pillow and falling into a quick sleep. Talon and Luke quietly left the room, so as not to disturb her.


	2. Alarm and Messages

Chapter 2- Alarm and Messages.

Lena woke up, feeling very tired hours later after Luke rescued Wedge and Too-OneBee said that she had suffered damage from Palpatine's Force lightening. Lena felt like her brain had been stuffed with cotton and her eyes felt as if the lids had been glued shut. A sharp, painful twinge raced through her body, nearly causing her to cry out. "Painkiller, Your Highness?" The medical droid asked.

"I feel worse. Not better. Didn't you do anything?" Lena asked, feeling the muscles in her ears contract and pop. Uncle Bail had once said all humans had three bones in the ear. If he was still alive, Lena would have loved to tell him he was right.

"Treatment is complete, Your Highness. Now you must rest. May I offer you a painkiller?" The droid repeated again in his flat monotone.

"No. I think I have this one," Lena said with a grunt as she tried to relax into the Force. Her father had once said that a Jedi should be able to control pain and heal themselves. Now was the time to test it and see if she could; if she had enough mastery of the Force to heal herself. Artoo beeped a nervous-sounding beep. "All right, Artoo. You stand watch and I'll take another nap," Lena said with a yawn as she buried her head back into her pillows.

"I'll leave you, Your Highness. Please attempt to sleep. Call if you need assistance," Too-OneBee said as he rolled away on his treads.

"How's Wedge?" Lena asked, suddenly thinking of hers and Luke's friend. Lena had basically collapsed after Luke went to rescue him and, until now hadn't thought of him.

"Healing well, Your Highness. He should be ready for release within a day," Too-OneBee said as Lena drifted back off to sleep, calling on the Force and applying it to her aching, electrocuted bones. It was then that Lena heard feet running down the corridor. A slight misgiving in the Force then rippled down her spine and she sat up. Artoo then beeped almost paternally, "Your Highness, lie back down, please!" Too-OneBee said in what almost amounted to a panicked tone.

"In a minute. Stop!" Lena said sharply as she entered the corridor and Rebel soldier stopped in front of her.

"Yes, Master Jedi?" The soldier asked. Everyone in the Alliance knew that Cora, Luke, Lena and Talon were Jedi and gave them the full respect due to them.

'Did they decode that drone ship's message yet?" Lena asked, remembering what Wedge had nearly been killed for.

"Still working on it, Master Jedi," the man said cryptically.

Lena then made up her mind. She had to go to the war room where her father and everyone else would be trying to decode the message. Lena then turned to Artoo and placed her hand on the squat, little droid's domed head. Lena winced as a pain shot down her back.

"Your Highness, please lie down. The condition will rapidly become chronic unless you rest," Too-OneBee said.

Lena sat down on the bed and tried to think of a solution that would appease Too-OneBee. "Too-OneBee, have you got a repulsor chair somewhere?" Lena asked, the idea suddenly coming to her.

* * *

Talon looked up from the briefing he had been in for hours as a repulsor chair came into the war room. A smile crossed his lips at the sight of his daughter reclining in it like the princess she was. "Lena, what are you doing here?" Luke asked, going to Lena's chair.

"It's kind of important, brother," Lena said as she looked toward Mon Mothma, Crix Madine, and Admiral Ackbar, the other three leaders of the Rebel Alliance besides Talon. Mon Calamari rarely looked upset, but Mon and Madine were wearing their disapproval over Lena's actions where it didn't even take a Jedi to know that they were disappointed.

Lena moved her repulsor chair towards the holovid table, her youthful face determined. "You'll never learn, will you? You belong in sick bay. This time we'll have Too-OneBee knock you out," Madine said with that flatness that former Imperials were known for.

"What about the message? Some Imperial commander burned a quarter billion credits on that antique drone," Lena said.

"Probably right, my dear. But you really should go back to the sick bay," Talon said, smoothing her forehead gently with his hand and stretching out with the Force to determine her condition. Her bones were healing, but some of the damage from the Force lightening was still there.

"Master Jedi Skywalker, the Prince is right. You need to consider the risks you and your brother take...more carefully," Ackbar said in his gravelly, rough voice.

"I will, Admiral. When I can, but I wanted to know about the message," Lena said, with some exhaustion in her voice.

"Well, I guess as long as you aren't standing, it should be okay," Talon said, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, Papa. This should be interesting," Lena said as Lieutenant Matthews, who had run in with the message, went to the console and opened up the message port.

"Here it comes," Matthews said with finality as words started to scroll up the screen. Lena raised herself slightly to get a better look.

"IMPERIAL GOVERNOR WILEK NEREUS OF THE BAKURA SYSTEM, TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT IMPERIAL MASTER, PALPATINE: GREETINGS IN HASTE." Talon felt his lips twitch in amusement. This clearly meant that not very many people had gotten the word that Palpatine and Vader were dead. He wondered how long that would take for that news to reach people.

"BAKURA IS UNDER ATTACK BY ALEN INVASION FORCE FROM OUTSIDE YOUR DOMAIN. ESTIMATE FIVE CRUISERS, SEVERAL DOZEN SUPPORT SHIPS, OVER 1,000 SMALL FIGHTERS. UNKNOWN TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE LOST HALF OUR DEFENSE FORCE AND ALL OUTERSYSTEM OUTPOSTS. HOLONET TRANSMISSIONS TO IMPERIAL CENTER AND DEATH STAR TWO HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. URGENT, REPEAT, URGENT, SEND STORMTROOPERS." And that was when the message ended.

"More data. We need more of this," Madine said, fiddling with a knob on the console to bring up more of the words.

"I think that's all we have to go on, General," Cora said from her place on the seats. Cora had grown quieter since the battle and she and Lando had destroyed the Death Star that Talon had forgotten his eight-year-old daughter was even in the room.

"There are corroborative visuals if you would care to see them, Sir, as well as embedded data files coded for Imperial access," the droid powering the information console said.

"That's more like it. Give me the visuals," Madine said and a projection turned on.

What looked like an Imperial ship came on the screen, spewing fire and then followed by escape pods being released. A large orange object that Talon had never seen before then filled the projection It was large and stubby and had a rough ovoid look with projections. "Run a check on the ships design," Talon ordered

"This design is used neither the Alliance or the Empire, Your Highness," the droid said the words after three seconds that Talon had been secretly fearing. The escape pods on the monitor then got pulled into the orange ship by what appeared to be a tractor beam.

"Taking prisoners," Madine said grimly.

"Access the embedded data files. Apply our most current imperial codes. Locate this world, Bakura. Are you sure you do not remember it, Your Highness?" Mon Mothma asked.

"No. I'm afraid not. I was was raised in the Old Republic and Masters always took their Padawans with them on missions. Master Plo never took me to a world named Bakura. Most planets in the Outer Rim we didn't know about as the Republic's jurisdiction didn't reach that far. The Bakurans must keep to themselves mostly," Talon said, stroking Lena's hair absently.

An image of a small planet appeared on the monitor, turning red to indicate it was Bakura. "Here, Madam, according to this file, its economy is based on the export of repulsorlift components and an exotic fruit candy and liqueur. Settled by a speculative mining corporation during the final years of the Clone Wars and taken over by the Empire approximately three years ago, to absorb and control its repulsorlift production capacity," the droid said.

"Hmmm, we didn't know about it during the Clone Wars. They must have joined the Separatists under Count Dooku pretty quietly as they were under the jurisdiction of the Mining Guild. But I wonder why Count Dooku wouldn't brag about Bakura being on his side? From what Obi-Wan told me once when he was teaching a class and I was in it, the Sith are not known for keeping their mouths shut when they take over something like a planet," Talon said.

"Count Dooku was a Sith, Uncle?" Luke asked.

"Yes. He nearly killed Obi-Wan, your father, and Senator Amidala, your mother, in a ring on Genosis. At the end of the Clone Wars, your father killed him. It was big news at the Jedi temple on Coruscant when that happened," Talon said.

"I think now, we have bigger issues than a Sith who died 22 years ago," Madine said grimly.

"The general is right. It's been subjugated recently enough to remember independence well. Now show Endor. Relative position," Mon Mothma said to the computer.

The sanctuary moon below the frigate they were on showed up. The distance from Bakura was rather disturbing to say the least. "That's virtually the edge of the rim worlds. Even traveling in hyperspace, it would take days to get there. The Empire can't help them," Luke commented.

"How large is the Imperial force at the system?" Leia's voice over the comm asked. Leia had been hurt on Endor during the battle and was healing on the sanctuary moon. Leia had just learned the night before the battle that she was Luke and Lena's triplet sister and finding out that Vader and Anakin Skywalker was the same person and her father too, hadn't rested well with her.

"Bakura is defended by an Imperial garrison. The sender of this message has added subtext, reminding Emperor Palpatine that what forces they have are antiquated, due to the system's remoteness," the droid said.

"Evidently the Empire didn't anticipate any competition for Bakura. But now there is no Imperial fleet to help there. It will take the Imperials weeks to reassemble, and by then this Bakura could fall to the invasion force- or it could be part of the Alliance. If the Imperials can't help the Bakurans, we must," Leia said.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" Admiral Ackbar asked..

"If we send aid to Bakura. it's possible that Bakura will leave the Empire out of gratitude. We could help free its people," Leia said.

"Makes sense if we can convince Nereus of that, if he is willing to be convinced that the Empire is truly dead and gone and is not going to help him," Lena said.

"That chance is worth investing a small task force. And you'll need a high-ranking negotiator," Leia said after a pause.

"It'll have to be someone like Lena, Leia, or Papa as all three served in the Imperial Senate on Coruscant," Cora piped in.

"Can we afford to send troops, given the shape we're in? We've lost twenty percent of our forces, battling only part of the Emperor's fleet. Any Imperial battle group could do a better job at Bakura," Ackbar said.

"But then the Empire would remain in control there. We need Bakura just like we do Endor. Every world we can draw into the Alliance," Lena said evenly.

What stunned Talon next was not that Lena had calmly taken the idea that they needed to save Endor; it was that Han Solo, Leia's boyfriend, had decided to back Lena. "Admiral, I doubt we can afford _not _to go. An invasion force that big is trouble for this whole end of the galaxy. And the little Jedi is right- it's us that ought to go. You'd just better send a ship that can make a fast getaway, in case the Imperials get ideas," Han said in his normal cocky manner.

"What about the price on _your_ head, laser brains?" Talon heard Leia whisper over the comm with his Force-enhanced hearing.

"You're not going without me, Highnessness," Han snarked.

"It would have to be a small group, but one ship is not enough. Admiral Ackbar, you may select a few fighters to support Princess Leia and General Solo," Mon Mothma said with slow, measured words.

"What are the aliens doing? Why are they taking so many prisoners?" Luke asked.

"The message doesn't say," Madine said.

"Then you'd better send someone who can find out. It could be important," Lena said with a bare wince. Through the force, Talon could feel the pain his daughter was still in and, even though they weren't Jedi, so could Mon, Madine, and Ackbar.

"Not you, Master Jedi Skywalker, and it doesn't look like we can wait until you've recovered. This team should leave within a standard day," Madine said crisply.

"He's right, Lena. You are in no condition to join any movement on Bakura. Me, Cora, and Luke will go with Han and Leia. You need to rest. I promised to always look after you since the day you were born," Talon said, smoothing her forehead with his fingers.

Lena released a huge sigh, that sounded like tired defeat. "Okay. I am starting to feel so tired, I am seeing double. I'll head back to my cabin. Keep me posted," Lena said. Talon leaned over, kissing her temple.

"I doubt we'll be sending you to Bakura. Consider your importance to the alliance," Mon Mothma said with grave gentleness.

"She's right, Master Jedi Skywalker," Ackbar said in as grave a voice as Mon's.

"I'm not helping anyone if I'm just lying down. I can at least help you put together the strike force," Lena said with the stubbornness that clearly came from Padme as she went to the lift platform and left the room, Luke and Artoo behind her.


	3. Force Visions and New Assignments

Chapter 3- Force Visions and New Assignments

Luke escorted his sister, Lena, back to her quarters as Mon Mothma, Crix Madine, Admiral Ackbar and Talon discussed the plans to help Bakura. Luke had offered to help Lena put together a strike team as she was still weakened by the lightening. Luke had secretly asked Talon how many people had survived Palpatine's Force lightening and he had said not very many were struck by it and lived to tell the tale. Luke and Lena passed a Gotal, who flinched as he saluted as they went by. Talon had also said that Gotals were extremely sensitive to the Force through their hornsand the only thing Luke and his sister could do was step away from the Gotal before they both gave him a migraine.

"I wonder how he has survived with four Force users in the war room," Lena said wearily.

"You got me," Luke said as Artoo shrieked behind them almost indignantly at Lena.

"Yes, Artoo," Lena said as she guided the repulsor chair back to the medical suite.

"Are you okay? You sound awful," Luke asked.

"I'm okay. I'm just wondering why these aliens take prisoners," Lena said as she made her way into her suite and back into her bed. Luke sat in the chair beside her bed.

"I do too. It can't be for anything good. Artoo, get a portable data screen from Too-OneBee. Access those embedded data files from that message drone. Me and Lena will take a look while she rests," Luke said. Artoo was back in less than a minute with the data screen.

"Bakura. Data files," Lena said to the screen. It also took less than a minute for the computer to analyze her voice.

"Bakura. Imperial Study Survey six-oh-seven-seven-four. Salis D'aar, capital city, is the seat of Imperial governorship. Bakuran contributions to Imperial security include a modest flow of strategic metal..." the voice droned as a planet full of green mountains and valleys filled the screen to be followed by the capital Salis D'aar. At that moment Luke then realized that Lena was sound asleep. Luke then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep as well.

* * *

Lena woke to a fierce shaking. She opened her gluey eyelids and looked up at her brother, who was shaking her awake. "Luke? What is it? Are you out of your mind?" Lena asked.

"Maybe I am, but I just saw Obi-Wan," Luke said as she sat up.

"Obi-Wan? What did he want?" Lena asked.

"He wants you and me to go to Bakura. I had some dream. I was a droid," Luke said, quickly without taking a breath.

"A droid? Do you think it has anything to do with those aliens we saw?" Lena asked.

"Probably. I'm gonna go get Uncle Talon and the others," Luke said. Lena wasn't sure if Talon would agree to let Lena go to Bakura with her body giving fits after the electrocution, like it was. Mustafar would probably freeze over before he did. But then again if she said Obi-Wan wanted her and Luke to go, he might agree.

* * *

Talon stood by his daughter's bedside as Luke explained the dream and Obi-Wan's instructions. "So you see-" Luke started to say as the doors slid open and Solo and Leia stepped in. Leia gave Talon, Luke, and Lena kisses on their cheeks as if she hadn't seen them in years instead of a little over 24 hours.

" 'Scuse us," Solo said gruffly as he leaned back against a bulkhead.

"Go on. General Obi-Wan Kenobi has given you and your sister orders," Admiral Ackbar's hologram projection said. Ackbar couldn't come with Talon and the others, so they had to make do with a hologram.

"That's it, Sir," Luke said.

Ackbar stroked the tentacles on his face with one webbed hand. "I have studied the Kenobi offensive. It was masterful. I have little faith in apparitions, but General Kenobi was one of the more powerful Jedi Knights, and Commander Skywalker and Master Jedi Skywalker's word is generally reliable," Ackbar said.

Madine frowned. "Captain Wedge Antilles should be fully recovered by the time any battle group could reach Bakura. I'd thought to put him in charge of the group- no offense, General," Madine said quickly, turning to face Solo.

"None taken. Separate me from the ambassador there, and I'll resign my commission," Solo said with his Palpatine-may-care attitude. Leia had been chosen as the ambassador, alongside Talon and since Leia had been shot on Endor, Solo didn't want to leave her for any reason as she had been shot while his back was turned.

"But Master Jedi Skywalker is in considerably more serious condition," Ackbar said, voicing Talon's concerns over Lena.

"I won't be, by the time we can reach Bakura," Lena said quietly.

"We must plan for every contingency. We must defend Endor now and we've promised General Calrissian assistance with liberating cloud city-" Ackbar started to say.

"I talked to Lando on the comlink. He says he's got ideas of his own and thanks anyway," Solo spoke up. Lando Calrissian had left for Bespin the day after the celebration, with the promises to keep in touch with the Alliance and help them when he was needed and vice versa if the Alliance gave him fighters to take back Cloud City. Talon and the leadership had agreed.

"Then we shall send Bakura a small, but strong strike force to support Princess Leia and Prince Cail in their roles as chief negotiators and the prince is also a Jedi Knight, so his skills as a Jedi could help alongside Commander Skywalker and Master Jedi Skywalker. Most of your fighting will probably be in space, not groundside. Five Corellian Gunships and a Corvette will escort our small cruiser-carrier. Commander Skywalker, Master Jedi will that be enough?" Ackbar asked, looking at first Luke and then Lena.

"You're giving me and my sister command, Sir?" Luke questioned, the surprise on both Luke's and Lena's faces clear.

"I don't see that we have any choice. General Kenobi has spoken to you, Commander Skywalker. You and Princess Lena's record in battle is unmatched. Assist Bakura for us and rejoin the fleet immediately," Mon Mothma said in her clam, quiet voice.

"And don't anyone worry. I'll make sure Lena doesn't overexert herself," Talon said. Talon felt himself grin at the put out expression on his oldest daughter's face. He hadn't been this overprotective of her since she was eight seasons and, truth-be-told, he had kind of missed it.


	4. Preparations and the Enemy

Chapter 4- Preparations and the Enemy

**A/N: I thought about how I want to do Dev Sibwarra and the Ssi-ruuk and I decided to go ahead and do some of the scenes with Dev in here.**

* * *

The next morning Lena was ready to go. Her father and the other leaders had put Lena in charge of a command ship and Lena wasn't sure if, as a Jedi, she should be excited over a ship and that she was the one in charge. Talon came up to her on her repulsor-chair and squeezed her hand that rested on the armrest. "How do you feel, Lena?" Her father asked, his blue eyes reflecting concern.

"All right, I guess. Is Cora coming with us?" Lena asked, looking at her eight-year-old sister, dressed in her Jedi robes and clinging to their father's hand.

"Papa says I have to. Me and Lando may have destroyed the Death Star, but he says I am still a Padawan," Cora said gravely. Since Hoth, Cora had developed a more serious personality where she was eight seasons going on 30.

"Uncle Talon is right, Cora. You still have a lot to learn," Luke put in as he stepped up to Lena's chair.

"Well, let's board the ship. Mon Mothma told me that it was a new model," Lena said as they entered the frigate and Lena's second-in-command came to attention as soon as she saw Lena.

"Welcome aboard, Your Highness, Commander Skywalker, Master Jedi Skywalker, Princess Cora," Tessa Manchisco said, saluting sharply as she used all their titles. Captain Manchisco had black hair and a clean, white uniform. She had just come from the Virgillian Civil War and still had stars of winning against the Empire in her eyes, like Luke had when he first joined the Rebel Alliance and had thought he could take on the Empire single handed.

"She's ready to jump," Luke said.

"Ready and eager, Commander," Manchisco said. Lena looked around at the frigate. It was small considering the size of other ships in the Alliance. There was her father, sister, and Luke, of course. But there was Mancisco, some Virgillians, three other humans, and a Duro navigator. Beneath the bridge there was also 20 x-wing fighters, three A-wings, and four B-wing fighters. All of them looked out the viewport and saw two Corellian gunships and Han's ship the _Millennium Falcon. _The ship may have looked like junk, but as Han always claimed, and Lena had seen firsthand, there was more to the ship than met the eye. Even for a Jedi who disliked most technology, Lena had to admit Han's ship was more than it looked.

"Well, let's get going everyone. I want to see what this new frigate can do," Lena said. A firm, but gentle hand gripped the back of her neck.

"Careful, daughter. You are a Jedi and as such you should not be eager to prove this new technology," Talon warned.

"I won't, Father. I won't. I know my place in the Jedi world and the flaws of technology," Lena said.

"Just remember that you are a Jedi first," Talon said, brushing a warm kiss on her temple as he went to his station. Cora followed him and sat on his lap, burying her head in his broad chest.

Lena sat down, feeling slightly dizzy as the latest medication from her run-in with the emperor wore off. It was about time for a new dose of medicine if she wished to continue being on the bridge, instead of giving the command to Luke.

"Hyperdrive status, Master Jedi, you might want to strap down," Manchisco said. Lena strapped herself in and immersed herself in the Force to concentrate on which bones still needed healing.

* * *

Dev Sibwarra's day had just started and never ended. His master had just captured a shipload of new recruits, men, women, and children and his job was to use the Force to calm them down while they were being, what his master called, enteched. Dev laid a hand on the latest prisoner's shoulder in a soothing gesture. "It will be all right. There's no pain. You have a wonderful surprise ahead of you," Dev whispered gently, feeling the man's fear. Dev used the Force to calm down the recruits as all of them were terrified over what the Ssi-ruuk had in store for them.

Well, if Dev hadn't seen any of this before and he was in their place, he might have been scared too. Being attached to the entechment chair by bands and unable to move on account of being deionized, while magsol was being dumped into the brain to sedate was enough to frighten anyone. "Is it calmed yet?" Master Firwirrung asked in the Ssi-ruuvi language.

"Calm enough. He's almost ready," Dev said in the same language. He had lived with the Ssi-ruuk since he had been a small boy and he had picked up the language quickly.

The Ssi-ruuk looked frightening, but he had been the only human that they hadn't enteched on account that his master had had pity on a little boy. Maybe also because Dev could use the Force to calm people down, they had decided to keep him, proving they weren't completely vicious murderers. Firwirrung swung the catchment arc over the prisoner and Dev leaned forward to watch the man's eyes dilate; a sign he was calm and sedated. "Now," Dev said with a nod at Firwirrung.

Firwirrung threw the switch and Dev winced at the pain coming from the man in the chair. Or was it the pain he imagined as Firwirrung had told him none of them felt the pain because of the magsol putting them into a dazed stupor? Of course the body screamed, but that was all in his head too. All too soon, mere seconds the body of the man was dead and his energy was put into a droid or a new ship of Ssi-ruuvi making. The process repeated all through the night and with the exception of one woman all had been enteched without a hitch.


	5. Coming to Aid

Chapter 5- Coming to Aid

By the time the frigate reached Bakura Lena felt much better. She no longer felt as if I sarlacc had eaten her and spat her back out. Of course she still had to sit for most of the trip on orders from Two-OneBee and her father, but the double vision and aches had more or less subsided. Lena looked out at the third moon in Bakura's system and the moon had battelships surrounding it. "Looks like a party, Lena," Han said. Since the incident with him, the carbonitw, and Jabba the Hutt, Han had stooped using their titles with the exception of Talon.

"I'm with you. We're hailing the Imperials now. No sense-" Lena started to say before she was interrupted.

"Your Highness," the communications officer said sharply.

"Hang on," Lena said and turned, her leg cramping miserably; the only remainder of the emperor's Force lightening. "Did you raise someone?" Lena asked, limping over to the man's console. Lena looked back at her father as he rested a hand on her rich brown hair and stroked her head gently. He smiled at her. It was the same kind of smile he used to give her when she was little and had fallen in the palace and skinned her knees.

The Virgillian soldier pointed to a blinking light, an indicator that it was time to send a message. "Imperial Navy, this is an Alliance battle group. We have the white flag out for you. Looks like you're in need. Would you accept our help, as between fellow humans?" Lena asked. There was no point in telling the Imperials that there were a few among them not human. Palpatine had no love for anyone who wasn't human and worlds that were ruled by the Empire were no exception.

The speaker crackled as if it was being jammed. Lena switched to the Alliance frequency. "All fighters, maintain defensive formation. Shields up. We don't know what they are going to do," Lena said, layering her voice with the Force to calm down her fighters.

The static then cleared, followed by music and voices breaking up. It then cleared. "Alliance battle group, this is Commander Pter Thanas of the Imperial Navy. Declare your purpose here," Thanas said with brisk authority.

Lena looked at first Talon and then Luke. She wasn't quite sure how she could answer that question given that the Rebel Alliance may not be welcome in this system; not even one who was willing to help the said system out. "We intercepted a message Governor Nereus sent to the Imperial Fleet, which is, ah, mostly in airdock at the moment. It sounded like serious trouble. As I said, we came to help you if possibe," Lena said with a wince as spasms shot up her legs. She had come to the realization that she had been standing and her legs were punishing her for it.

"Lena, be subtle. You're dealing with Imperials. They're going to see us as hostiles and chase us away," Leia's voice came over Lena's chair intercom.

"They're not chasing anybody at the moment. They're about to be wiped-" Lena started to say before she was interrupted.

"No wonder nobody picked up the standard distress transmissions. Alliance battle group, we would be grateful for assistance. I am coding a status report twenty cycles below this frequency," Thanas said, the relief obvious in his voice.

"Well, all right," Han said over her chair comm.

"Indeed. Now, sit down, daughter," Talon said, pressing his large hand gently to her shoulder and sitting her back down on her chair.

Lena looked over at the Communications Officer Delckis who opened the channel that Thanas had told them about. The status board came up, revealing the yellow-gold dots that made up the Imperial Navy. Lena heard Luke whistle softly at the sight, due to her ability to hear through the Force. Along with the Imperials there was other ships, that had the danger color red. From what Lena could gather Thanas and his navy was no match for the intruders. It could have taken out the frigate that Lena was using, but not the interlopers.

"You sure you want to do this, Master Jedi?" Manchisco muttered to Lena.

Lena touched the button lightly that would call the troops under her command to their ships. "Reading your information," Lena said to Thanas to remind him that the _Flurry_ was still there to help and that she hadn't abandoned them in their time of need.

"Can you...stand by," Thanas's voice came out garbled before it was swallowed by static. "Sorry. Jamming. If you can throw a cone of ships into the gap between the Ssi-ruuk's three central cruisers, it could inspire them to retreat. It would buy us time," Thanas said as the comm cleared and his voice came back as if the jamming had never happened.

Lena looked at her father , sister, and brother and could see they were mentally storing the name away for later. "Commander Thanas, we're going to sweep down from solar north just spinward of those three cruisers. Set course," Lena said softly to the Duro navigator.

"Valtis, establish eight-seven norrrth, six spinwarrrd," the Duro ordered, in the drawl that was familiar among his race. Lena felt the ship vibrate as the engines came to life and the access hatch slid shut.

The intercom came back after about a minute. "That's within our sphere of greatest need, Alliance Group. Come in...and thanks. Just keep it away from the gravity well," Thanas warned.

"What do you think, Your Highness, kid? Doesn't look good," Han asked both Luke and Lena.

"I've got to get to Bakura. I have to convince this Governor Nereus to declare an official truce. Otherwise they have no reason to work with us. You can't end-run the entire Imperial Navy," Leia interjected before Luke and Lena could say anything.

"Han, did you read how we're going to move?" Luke asked.

"Oh, yeah. Good luck, hero. I'm afraid our only trained diplomat is going to wait this one out," Han said, sounding amused. Leia being the only diplomat was right as Talon and Lena had only been Leia and Bail Organa's aides and not really senators.

"Good idea," Luke said. Lena agreed with the point and from the look on Talon's face, so did he. Leia and Talon also planned battles. They weren't normally in the fighters like Luke, Lena, and Cora.

"What? What are you talking about?" Leia asked.

"Excuse us," Han said into the comm. Leia was the more stubborn among the Skywalker triplets and Lena remembered how she had taken the speeder on Endor before the battle.

"Leia, look at the board. Bakura is blockaded. All communications out must be jammed- we haven't heard a peep, except some scatter from entertainment bands. You're too valuable to risk in the battle zone," Han said, sounding like the voice of reason this time.

"And you're not? I have to talk with the governor. Our only hope is to persuade him that we're coming in as nonaggressors," Leia said, with a little heat in her tone. Leia was angry. Hopefully this time she would want to learn the ways of the Force and not get angry as it led to the dark side.

"I agree and we can use the _Falcon _in a sweep, but we're not risking you. Be grateful you're on your own gunship, child," Talon said, entering the argument, which was followed by stony silence on Leia's end.

Lena started to issue orders before Leia answered grudgingly. "All right. The sixth planet isn't far from this vector. We'll head in that direction. If it looks safe, we'll land and wait for a rendezvous," Leia said, her indignation at Han, Luke, and everyone else coming in clear through the Force.

"Planet Six, sounds good, Leia," Luke conceded. With a look at Luke and Talon, she knew they felt Leia's irritation at Han and them.

"Be in touch, Han. Use standard Alliance frequencies, but monitor the Imperial ones," Lena said.

"Affirmative, Lena," Han said.

Lena looked out at the stars and sat back down in her chair as she waited for the coordinates to jump into lightspeed to join the battle at Bakura. "Calculations are in. Prepare to jump," Lena said, as the stars formed green lines. "Now," Lena said and they made the jump.


	6. The Heat of Battle

Chapter 6-

Talon stood next to Cora and Behind Lena, resting his hand on both his daughters shoulders. Lena was doing much better, but he could tell with how quickly she sat that she still felt some of the effects of the Force lightening. Talon looked over at Luke who stood next to a BAC unit, that revealed that Thanas's group was being thinned out and falling back.

Stretching out with the Force, Talon felt that he had it all wrong. the Ssi-ruuk were the ones thinning out, not Thanas. They had thinned to press forward. It was an old feint that Talon had seen done maybe once or twice during the Clone Wars with the battalion of clones his master had been in charge of. Talon may not have seen battle as much as Ahsoka, Anakin's Padawan had, but Master Yoda and Master Windue had sent him to battles periodically as they felt that to be a good Jedi, one had to leave the library. A dry chuckle escaped his lips as he thought about it. What would his master have said if he knew that Talon organized battles now like Yoda and Mace Windue? "What is it, Papa?" Cora asked, turning to look at him.

"Nothing, young one. I was just remembering my life before the Empire and before I met your mother," Talon said, raising his hand from her shoulder to stroke her hair.

"Must have been a good memory," Lena commented.

"In a way. I used to hate battles like this. Most people, if they were looking for me, would have found me either in the library or playing with the younglings in the temple. I had a lightsaber, as all Jedi do, but I was not good at it. I think it was after the Jedi Purge I had to learn to use it more and plan battles," Talon said.

"And now you are the head of the Rebel Alliance, Your Highness," Manchisco said.

"Can't argue with that and the head of the Jedi order if we restart it, like Yoda told Luke and Lena on his deathbed," Talon said.

"I think you'll make a great Grand Master of the Jedi order, Papa," Lena said.

"I will do my best, but we will have to change a few things. But we'll think about that when the time comes," Talon said.

"Delckis, give me squadron leaders," Luke ordered.

It took only a matter of minutes for Luke to get an answer back. Okay, let's get their attention. Gold Leader, Rogue One, that's your's," Luke said to Wedge, who had fully recovered form his ordeal after the Battle of Endor.

"Got it, _Flurry._ Rogue Group, lock S-foils in attack position," Wedge ordered the fighters under him.

"Red Leader, split your squadron. Red One through Four, hold an escape cone open behind One and Gold groups. We'll draw them away from the planet," Talon ordered, picking up a headset. Talon shook is head at the irony of this. The yellow-gold lights were Imperials and the head of the Rebel Alliance had just sent out fighters to help them. "Red Five and the rest stay with the _Flurry," _Talon said.

"Why, thank you, Your Highness," Manchisco teased him. Talon smiled himself. Not everyone teased him as he was considered royalty and a Jedi. For someone to tease, they had to have started to feel comfortable around him.

* * *

Lena stretched out with the Force in the heat of the battle. They had just started fighting to protect the Imperials when Lena noticed the hive-like ships. Lena figured that the best thing to do was use the Force to figure out the enemy. Lena almost jolted as she couldn't feel anything. That wasn't that unusual as that considering these were new to this galaxy and, ergo, Lena wouldn't be able to feel them at first.

Lena looked at the small ship that Wedge was chasing and he scored a direct hit. What Lena felt then in the Force nearly crushed her. Two cries in the Force reached out to her and just as quickly faded away. "Lena, did you feel that?" Cora asked, looking up at her sister with large eyes.

"Yes. Papa, did you and Luke?" Lena asked, looking at first Talon and then her brother.

"Yes. I can't explain it. I couldn't touch the mind of whoever was flying until it exploded," Talon said, the anguish in the Force etched all over her father's face.

Lena looked toward the other enemy fighters and as they all winked out of existence, Lena opened herself fully to the Force. She heard a cry that was faint, but it was human; something that seemed hardly possible, given the size of the enemy ships. Lena looked at the large enemy ship. _"Flurry, _to Rogue One. Go for that cruiser. Now," Lena ordered.

"I'm on it," Wedge chirped, barely over a whistling sound.

Lena then noticed the enemy ship releasing new drones. "Abort, Wedge. They've launched another wave," Lena said sharply.

"Yeah, I noticed. BAC can't make up it's mind, huh?" Wedge drawled in a voice that wasn't very concerned as the X-wings scattered in pairs to meet the new ships. Lena looked over at Luke. He wanted to be out there with them instead of here and Lena couldn't really blame him for that. If she hadn't gotten the painful end of Force lightening, she'd have been out there too.

The BAC beeped again, revealing symbols that made up the enemy fleet. What could be said for Pter Thanas was that he was a good strategist. Lena turned to the Communications Officer, feeling a sense of alarm go down her spine in the Force. Luke and Lena both leaned to look at the BAC. Everything seemed to be going good. Wedge was flying to the ship, with nothing impeding him. The Force slammed icy fingers into her spine and from the look on Luke's, Talon's, and Cora's faces, they felt it too. A small enemy fighter came onto the screen had just entered the battle and was closing in on Wedge and his squadron. "Rogue One, Wedge, watch behind you. Big guns below. Red Five and your group. Get out there and shoot those fighters off Wedge's tail," Luke snapped into the comm board.

"What was that?" They barely heard Wedge exclaim through the jamming and X-wings scattered. Two of them exploded, lighting up the viewscreens. Lena closed her eyes as, through the Force she felt their deaths. Granted, they weren't Wedge or other close friends that they all had made over the years that there had been a Rebel Alliance, but they were still humans who had just become part of the Force. They had family and friends who would mourn and miss them.

Lena took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to mourn in the middle of battle. The picket ship Wedge had been chasing had turned tables and was now chasing him. "Excuse me, Master Jedi Skywalker, but you're leaving the _Flurry _wide open to-" Manchisco started to say to Lena.

Lena looked down and saw what Manchisco had been about to say, Their ship was now under attack. "Sure enough. They saw it too. Crew's yours," Lena said, looking at Luke. He nodded his head, knowing what Lena was thinking. They needed to use the Force to save who they can.


	7. The Battle Turns

Chapter 7- The Battle Turns

The sounds of sirens and alarms pulled Lena's eyes from the blips covering the screen. Only the Force could save them now as everything went on crimson full-alert. "Luke, go in your X-wing. Wedge and Rogue Squadron is going to need you," Lena said quickly to her brother.

"Sure enough, little sister. They saw it too. Crew's yours," Luke said as he left the bridge for his X-wing.

"Papa, you and Cora keep trying to make contact through the Force. We should be able to reach something," Lena said/

"We are doing that, Lena," Talon said as a wail of pain broke through as Lena stretched out again with the Force. It nearly felled her.

"Lena? I felt pain," Cora said, her dark eyes wide with anguish and watery.

"I know. I felt it too. Papa, did you?" Lena asked, looking back at her father.

"Yes, it sounded human, but I didn't feel anyone. It felt like a droid," Talon said, wrinkling his light eyebrows in concentration.

Lena felt herself let go of her awareness and sink into the Force. It was the only way this could be explained. Lena felt a cry in the Force and she concentrated on it. It had been someone and that someone was in pain and was wishing that the pain was over. Lena then thought at the screaming voice before it died away all together. _But a good death is better than life enslaved to hatred and peace is better than anguish._ It was Lena's way of telling the scream that they were sorry that they had to destroy it. Lena felt herself jolt as the ship altered it's course and rammed into the ships fighting with it. Lena broke from the Force, breathing hard and sweat running down her face.

"Lena?" Talon's hand stroked at her face as a cheer from other pilots filled the ship. Her father's concerned blue eyes locked on hers and before Lena could think about it, she flung herself into her father's arms, sobbing on his chest like she used to when she was very little.

Lena raised her head as Wedge's and Luke's ships shot past and Manchisco looked at her with the same concern her father had. "Master Jedi Skywalker, are you all right?" The woman asked, her voice as concerned as her eyes.

"I will be. Give me a minute," Lena said, resting her forehead against Talon's broad shoulder.

"We may not have a minute, Master Jedi," Manchisco said as the BAC blinked and heavy bombardment hit the _Flurry. _Lena pulled away from her father, the despair gone.

"Okay. Let's see what else we can do," Lena said.

"Engineering can't give us any more power. Got any more tricks up your sleeve, Master Jedi?" Manchisco asked. Lena fought back a smile. The woman was asking if there were any more Jedi stunts that she, Luke, Talon, and Cora could pull off that would get them out of this mess they had found themselves in. Manchisco was as cocky as Leia's boyfriend and Lena wasn't sure if they needed cocky right now. The navigator gargled something in his language. "No. Stay your station," Manchisco snapped.

"All squadrons, _Flurry _needs reinforcements," Lena said into her comm on the chair as another blast rocked the ship.

"That's it. Shields are gone. Now we'll see how strong the hull is," a crew member said as the lights blinked.

Lena watched out the viewscreen, not a single good idea going through her head. A sense of relief washed through her as Han's ship filled the viewport. "Figured you needed some help, Princess," Han's cocky voice filled the bridge.

Lena drew a breath of relief as she looked at her father and Cora. "Thanks, Han. Nice of you to drop by," Lena said, feeling a twinge in her leg and she sat down.

Fighters swarmed by and red lights switched on and turned to amber. "How many d'you owe me now, Princess?" Han asked.

"Several," Lena said. But then again this might have been her sister suggesting Han come to their aid. Since finding out that she, Luke, and Lena were brother and sisters, she had been feeling the Force more often; an odd conundrum since she still wouldn't admit that Anakin Skywalker was her father too.

Lena felt the battle slow in pace. The numbers on the BAC slowed as well, but Lena refused to look at them. She decided to immerse herself in the Force once again. "Red Squadron, ease into position beneath that cruiser. Come across it's bow. Turn it insystem," Lena ordered.

Lena licked her lips and bit down hard on her lower lip; a habit that Dena and Aunt Breha tried to break her of and failed at epically. Luke's fighter went in, making Lena feel terrible that she couldn't join the. "Red Leader?" Lena transmitted to Luke.

"Going in now," Luke said. Lena felt like the fire of Mustafar had been dumped on her head. Next time her father or Leia could run this circus. Lena was going to bow out and help her brother and Rogue Squadron in an X-wing. It went all the way back to when Leia was a senator and she was Leia's aide. She hated all those times that she had to push forward a bill and Leia couldn't.

Through the Force, Lena then felt an explosion, followed by a flashing light. "Yes! Good job, Luke!" Wedge cheered exultantly.

"Well, done, big brother. But don't close your eyes yet. There's still plenty out there," Lena said, looking at the BAC and then the viewport.

"Right, _Flurry," _Luke said, before the X-wings went off in different direction, the only trace of them being blue dots on the BAC.

"Master Jedi Skywalker, drink of water?" Lieutenant Delckis asked at her elbow and holding a cup.

"Thank you," Lena said, grabbing the cup and swallowing it in one gulp. She looked at the BAC screen and nearly started. "Squad leaders, they are getting ready to jump. Stay out of their way and pick off any that try to attack you. Do you see that, Commander Thanas?" Lena asked, switching channels.

Lena looked at Talon worriedly when she received no answer. "He is fighting off these creatures too, daughter," Talon chided in a gentle voice.

Lena breathed a sigh of relief as the enemy vanished one by one. "That's it. We're done for now. Get the outer-system scanners up, Delckis. It's my guess they're not going far," Lena said.

"Yes, Master Jedi," Delckis said, saluting sharply.

Lena took another drink of water, feeling the peace that was the Force wash over her. "Lena, they're not gone," Cora said, her eyes as large as a surprised Gungan on Naboo, being interrupted in eating.

"I know. I feel it too, little sister," Lena said as Cora scrambled next to their father and grabbing his large hand.

"Master Jedi, you and Padawan Organa were right. They're already coming up, barely outsystem," Delckis said.

"Mm-hmmm. Code a message to Admiral Ackbar, Delckis. We need more ships. Include BAC recordings for that battle. They'll show him what we're up against. Can you have it off in half an hour?" Lena asked Delckis.

"Easily, Master Jedi," Delckis said.

"Thank the Force. Do it. Squad leaders, this is _Flurry. _Good work. Come on home," Lena ordered, barely suppressing a twinge in her leg again from the Force lightening.

On the BAC blue dots came back to the _Flurry_ and Lena's comm crackled. "Alliance Commander, this is Commander Thanas. Do you have holonet capability?" Thanas asked.

"Yes, but it's slow. Give us five minutes. Tell me when you're ready," Lena said, looking at the communications officer. Delckis gave a brief nod.

"Ready, Master Jedi. Two-way," Delckis said after a few long minutes.

A man came up on the holonet. He looked about Talon's age, give or take a couple of years. He had a narrow face with thin brown hair that had a slight curl in it, but had been cut short. "Thanks and congratulations," Thanas said briskly.

"They haven't gone far," Lena said.

"I see that. We'll be on watch. You, ah, might want to move out of the battle zone. Those alien ships leave very hot debris," Thanas said.

"Hot?" Talon questioned.

"Ssi-ruuvi drones burn heavy fusionables," Thanas said. Lena stored the name away. It was a slight relief that now she had a name for the aliens. Of course the nagging thought was why did Thanas want to have a conversation like this over holonet? Either the man was spying or he thought the Rebellion had stolen this frigate and the equipment.

Lena looked at the golden dots on the BAC that was the Imperial Navy. "Analyze that," Lena ordered. The reading came back to reveal Thanas's cruiser had been damaged and his resources had grouped around the cruiser and the planet beneath. But if Lena had been Thanas she probably wouldn't have trusted Thanas like he didn't trust her or the Alliance. But they would see how things were as soon as they landed on the planet.


	8. Feelings and Entry

Chapter 8- Feelings and Entry

Dev felt the eddies in the Force as someone as strong as his mother could be felt, He hadn't thought of his mother in quite some time and this Force awareness came from four different directions, revealing it to be four different people. One felt quite young as younglings in the Force, as his mother had once told him, had a light, airy feel to them. One felt to be older and the last two felt, maybe, a little older than him. For a minute he thought maybe his mother hadn't died and had come back for him; something that was impossible.

His mother had been peaceful and Dev could feel the same peace that she had exuded. Dev felt tears come to his eyes. But, wait a minute. It wasn't his mother. So it had to be the enemy they had just fought. And on second reflection, the four Force sensitives were stronger than his mother. Even the younger one had more strength. Something about these Force sensitives made him think of home and the fact that three of them had concentrated on the drones his master had sent out. Dev reached out to one of the sensitives that was closer to his age and she seemed not to notice his mind trying to probe hers. She was decidedly female and her pain over the drones surprised him.

Dev pulled away from his probe, hoping to forget her as he pushed the repulsor cart down the corridor. Dev nearly knocked his cart over when a whistling filled the intercom. It was an emergency call to harness for reorienting. Dev strapped in, wishing his body was like his masters' as the harness slipped and was too big for his small frame. Dev had to wrap the harness around him a few times to secure it. Dev then thought of the chores he had left incomplete; pillows he might not have tied down and a cart out in the corridor. It was then Dev realized they were going back. Surely they hadn't lost the battle and were retreating? The gravity then slammed Dev's stomach, upsetting his equilibrium.

When the gravity righted itself, Dev opened his eyes as his roiling stomach settled back in it's proper place and he made his way dizzily out of his seat. "What's going on? I don't remember an emergency reorient since Cattamascar," the Ssi-ruuk next to him asked with a puzzled look on his reptilian face.

"We lost a cruiser. Nearly all the new drone fighters are gone. We're having to waste humans to protect our remaining ships. We must analyze the newcomers' tactics before going in again. This group is different. Different ship types, different command style," Sh'tk'ith, or Bluescale as everyone called the leader of the Ssi-ruuk, said in his calm voice that was disturbing this time as since they had suffered a loss, no normal being should have been this calm.

Command style? That was when it hit Dev. The four Force-sensitives he had felt. The emperor was dead. Dev had felt that, but this new fleet had Jedi in charge of them. It was either the older one he had felt or the one of the ones that felt closer to his age. It made sense. If Palpatine was dead, the Jedi would show themselves. But that was only a theory. Dev really should tell Bluescale his suspicions about the four Jedi, but that would mean telling him that he felt them and had felt the emperor dying. Dev then decided to say something. Bluescale walked past him. "I greet you, Elder-" Dev started to say. Bluescale turned his attention to Dev.

"What is amiss?" Bluescale asked, his sent tongues, licking the air. Bluescale could taste stress that any human was feeling.

Dev wasn't sure how to say anything about the four Jedi. "Such...tragedy, that many battle droids lost. Those poor humans- their new lives, their new happiness, was cut so short. Let me mourn for my...for other humans, Elder, How sad for them. How sad," Dev said, feeling surprised at how easily the lie slipped from his mouth.

Bluescale gave a contemplating sound. "Later then. After you have contemplated their deaths, return to me. I will renew you for happier service," Blue scale said, sounding like a benevolent parent, giving a child a treat for good behavior,

"Thank you, Elder. I must clean the corridor. Labor will give me time for thinking," Dev said and Bluescale waved him away. Dev felt guilty. He should have confessed to feeling Jedi, but like a coward, had chosen not to. Dev held his breath. Knowing Bluescale, Dev would be called back later to confess. Dev was sure of it.

* * *

Leia watched as she, Han, Chewbacca, and Threepio entered the atmosphere of Bakura. "Safe conduct to Salis D'aar, the capital city. Controllers will take you down," a technician who ran the space dock said over the intercom.

"Thank you," Han said, and flipping off the intercom.

Leia let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "So we can get to work," Leia said. Han shot her a look. "We have to decide what to do next," Leia said in answer to his unspoken question as she straightened one of her braids that circled her head.

"Right. Do we use this safe conduct and land on Bakura or not? They're in better shape now. This might be a good time to take our troops and get out," Han said.

Leia stared at the deck of the _Falcon,_ contemplating what Han was saying. "That wasn't what I meant, but you're right. I can't help wondering if we'll be able to deal with the Imperials directly," Leia said.

"Child, aren't you feeling well?" Uncle Cail's voice came over the intercom. Leia felt a feeling of warmth and love from her adopted uncle, cousin, and brother and sister.

Leia cleared her throat as she thought of what to say to her uncle. "I'm uneasy, Uncle. Maybe I'm starting to think like Han. I don't feel quite right about this situation. I'm more nervous that usual," Leia admitted.

"Be mindful of your feelings, Leia. I know you don't want to admit it, but you have the Force in you," Uncle Cail said, his words like a gentle, but firm stroke to her face. It was much like he had when she and Lena were little. If they had fallen and skinned their knees, Uncle Cail would pick them up, settle them on his lap and stroke their faces tenderly with his large hands. But what he hadn't said was true. Leia was a Skywalker as much as Luke and Lena were.

"We're all nervous. Something's going on here besides what shows on the surface. We have to figure it out," Luke said.

Han looked out the viewport to where Uncle Cail, her cousin, brother, and sister were. "You sure, kid? It'd be a good time to head home," Han said, sounding a little nervous; a new sensation that Han rarely, if ever, felt.

"I'm sure. Leia, you and Uncle Talon are in charge of negotiations. Do you want to shuttle over and make a dignified landing in the _Flurry?" _Luke asked.

"Wait a minute. I'm not landing anything but the _Falcon._ I want this bucket planet-side, in case we need to make another fast getaway," Han protested before Leia could say anything.

"Another? What happened?" Lena asked.

"Later. What about the impression we'll create, landing in...well, think what the _Falcon _looks like if you don't know her," Leia said to Han.

Han gave her a sour look. He often hated to admit his ship looked like a garbage scow. "That's camouflage," Han said in a flat voice.

Leia spread out her hands in a reconciliatory gesture. "This will be the Bakuran Imperials' first impression of our group, Han. We want them as allies. Think in the long term," Leia said.

"First we have to survive the short term," Han said cryptically.

Lena cleared her throat over the intercom. "The _Falcon _won't fit in the _Flurry's _hangar bay. It's full," Lena said.

Leia looked at the ship and then turned back to the intercom. "Okay, Luke, Lena, Uncle Cail. Come on over. We'll land in the _Falcon, _but only if everybody dresses up," Leia said. Her uncle, cousin, and Lena had their Jedi robes and Luke had come up with his own style of Jedi robes. Leia hoped they sufficed.

"Well, I'm not-" Han started to say, clenching his fist.

"Except you, Captain. It's your bucket. You better look the part," Leia interrupted, her saccharine-sweet voice betraying the wicked glint of humor in her eyes. Han liked to tease her with her royal titles and he was being a nerf herder right now. Leia only hoped that he wouldn't mouth off to the Bakurans.


	9. Arrival

Chapter 9- Arrival

Leia looked at the azure sky and clouds as they came down to land. Leia looked behind her as her sister came out of the fresher, her hair slightly damp and wearing fresh Jedi robes. Lena, Luke, Talon, and Cora had come over to the Falcon and each had taken turns in the fresher. Lena was the last on to come out. "Feel better?" Leia asked.

"You bet. Let's see if we can raise Commander Thanas again," Lena said as she sat down in Chewbacca's vacant chair and Han slid into his.

"I still say it smells like a trap. Maybe Thanas thinks he's being a nice guy, offering to let us into that defensive web. But if we split our forces, we've got half tied up for some Imperial desk jockey and only half on alert where they ought to be," Han said cryptically.

Uncle Cail tapped a pattern onto a console behind them with his large hands. "Their ships are going to need longer repair breaks than ours. What I saw had been shot up pretty badly," Uncle Cail said.

"And we still don't know what those aliens are up to. I have a very bad feeling about it," Leia said, looking at the pensive look on her sister's face. Lena knew something that was causing her to hold the sabacc cards close to her chest. She had seen something she wasn't revealing to not even Uncle Cail.

"It's our necks in the noose now, along with the Bakurans," Han said.

"That was the idea, to prove we're with them, by sharing their danger," Leia agreed.

"Alliance forces?" Thanas's voice came over the intercom.

"On frequency, Commander Thanas," Luke said with a crisp commander's tone and Leia looked over his shoulder at the console.

"I've cleared Alliance ships to join the defense web in the positions you requested, while your party conducts negotiations at Salis D'aar. I look forward to meeting you in person," Thanas said politely.

"It's mutual. Alliance out. Got all that?" Luke asked the _Flurry _as he ended the transmission.

"Locked into the BAC. Have fun down there," Captain Manchisco said and the comm went silent. Leia heard her brother and sister release long breaths.

"You, Lena, the Prince, and Cora're going to have to tell the Imperials who you are, Luke," Han said. Leia started. _No you're not!" _Leia nearly shouted through the Force at her brother, sister, cousin, and uncle. If the Imperials found out that Luke and Lena Skywalker were Jedi and that Uncle Cail and Cora were also Jedi and even that Leia was a Skywalker too and that Vader was hers, Luke, and Lena's father, all could be lost in this negotiation.

"We'd rather do it face to face," Lena said calmly to Leia's relief. It would mean they would tell their names, just not who Anakin Skywalker really was.

"They've got better control, better discernment in person, Han. They can feel if they're covering up," Leia said helpfully.

Han snorted. "It still smells like a trap. I don't like it," Han said as he reached for a control pack behind Chewbacca.

"And Luke, Uncle Cail, Lena, and Cora are Jedi," Leia added that reminder.

Lena looked at her and nodded. "We'll keep our eyes open," Lena said as Han lowered the ship into Salis D'aar. They passed a repair station which, to Leia's relief didn't look like the Death Star. Han made the descent. Leia looked over his and Chewbacca's shoulders as the landscape got bigger. Leia felt her breath catch as she looked at a huge white rock between two rivers.

"Better?" Han asked as he pushed a filter that cleared the viewscreen.

"Look at that," Leia murmured. On the white outcropping there was a city. A double ring of large craters surrounded a tower. It had to be the spaceport.

"What's the local time?" Lena asked Han.

"Just after dawn. Going to be a long day," Han said, rubbing his chin.

"Look," Luke said pointing at what looked to be a burned stretch of land, but on closer inspection was a garrison.

"Standard design for an Imperial garrison," Uncle Cail said stiffly, folding his arms over his large chest.

"It's going to be crawling with stormtroopers down there," Han observed.

"What was that? Did someone see stormtroopers?" Threepio asked anxiously from his place by the dejarik board.

"Don't overload a cirtcuit. They're going to be everywhere," Han said cryptically.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear," Threepio fretted as Lena and Luke left the cockpit.

Chewbacca howled. "Luke and Lena must be expecting a smooth touchdown. Don't know why not," Han said, translating the Wookie's howl.

Leia decided to go back to her seat, straightening a wrinkle in her white gown. Her mother had always said first impressions mattered and Leia would make it where the Rebel Alliance wouldn't look like thugs and criminals. Leia had worn the same kind of dress when she was a senator and, judging by his appearance, Uncle Cail had opted for the same kind of clothes as he had been a senator's aide years ago; a job he hadn't done since Lena had taken over as the aide.

Han flew around the capital, his eyes on the ground and weapons. "They're not firing on us. Guess we might as well go through with it," Han said as he moved closer to what looked like a rough white surface.

"What's that surface?" Cora asked, reminding Leia of her small cousin's presence in the cabin. Cora had come along and at the moment was holding tightly to Uncle Cail's large hand.

Han looked at his scanner. "Says here the outcrop's almost pure quartz. The crater looks like rock glass, but somebody's roughed it up," Han said as the _Falcon _landed.


	10. Welcome Party and Mistrust

Chapter 10- Welcome Party and Mistrust

"There. See? Nothing to worry about," Solo said a little too cocky for Talon's Force sensibilities. Chewbacca barked and they all looked in the direction he pointed. a crowd of people stood on the landing crater. Talon stretched out with the Force and didn't sense any ill will. "Hurry it up, Luke," Han ordered the younger man.

"Right," Luke said a little breathlessly and Leia, Talon, Lena, and Cora joined him.

Lena and Leia took in Luke's white dress uniform as he put on his utility belt with his blaster, some blaster cartridges, and his lightsaber. Talon and Lena were hiding theirs, but it was what wasn't spoken that spoke volumes in Luke's behavior. He didn't want to hide his Jedi status. "Good enough?" Luke asked Leia.

"I guess that's how a Jedi ought to dress," Leia said, her voice full of doubt. _I wish you looked older, _the thought slipped out through the Force to Talon from Solo. They all turned to look at him.

Han shrugged once he realized that everyone there heard that thought through the Force. "What does it matter what he thinks?" Leia asked.

"You look splendid, Master Luke. General Solo, you're rather untidy. Don't you think it would minimize our danger if-" Threepio started to say.

"Chewie, you want to stay on board?" Solo asked, interrupting the protocol droid. Given the track record of the Empire, it was probably a good idea that Chewbacca came as most of the Imperials Talon knew distrusted non-humans. Chewbacca was a good representative of the Rebel Alliance and Talon, being one of the leaders, had no objections to Chewbacca coming along; but only if he wanted to come. Talon wouldn't make him. Chewbacca roared, agreeing to come along.

"Okay. Guess we could use one more pair of eyes. Everybody look sharp," Solo warned as he put on his blaster.

"All right. Here we go," Luke said and they all disembarked. Talon holding Cora's small hand in his right hand and holding Lena's hand in his left. Leia was on Lena's other side and Luke was on the other side of Leia. Talon breathed deeply. It smelled dewy and fresh. It reminded Talon of the forest on Yavin IV or Naboo. It was then they all noticed the gravelly surface they had landed on. The rock was white and had a thin layer of gray rock dust. The surface crunched under their feet as they made their way to what looked like Imperial stormtroopers.

"Ooh. All the pretty white armor," Solo said snarkily.

"Cut it out. Me and Uncle Cail are wearing white too," Leia hissed. Leia had a good point. Bail had said as senators, they had to wear white and it was the color of the royal family on Alderaan. So every time Talon went out as the prince or went into the senate chambers on Coruscant, he wore white royal robes.

Talon's eyes then went to the man in the middle of the group and an instant dislike filled him. This was Governor Nereus. The man looked pompous as he towered over nearly everyone. He had dark hair with heavy-looking features. But he also looked like a moff; the Empire's thug who bullied everyone in the star systems. "Princess Leia and Prince Cail of Alderaan. It is an honor to serve you," Nereus said, giving courtly bows to both Talon and Leia.

"Governor Nereus. It is our honor to be here," Talon said, returning the bow with one of his own.

"In the name of the emperor, welcome to Bakura," Nereus said.

"Thank you for your welcome. You may think me or my uncle terribly rude to correct your kind words, but it's no longer valid to welcome us in Emperor Palpatine's name. Emperor Palpatine died several days ago," Leia said, trying to maintain a measure of politeness in her voice.

Nereus raised an eyebrow and clasped his hands behind his back. "My dear Princess, have you come to Bakura spreading rumors and lies?" Nereus asked.

"It gets better, Your Excellency. He was killed by his apprentice, Darth Vader," Leia said, the gloat in her voice not lost on Talon.

"Vader. Vader. His Imperial Majesty should never have trusted a Sith lord. I was prepared to disbelieve you, Your Highness. But Vader as an assassin, I believe," Nereus said with barely disguised contempt and disdain.

"Lord Vader is dead as well, Your Excellency," Leia said. Talon looked at her briefly along with Luke and Lena. They all wanted her to admit that Vader had reverted back to Anakin Skywalker in the end, but Leia didn't believe that ten minutes of remorse didn't redeem anyone of all the years he had hurt millions of innocents. She had said as much to Talon when Lena and Luke had told her what had happened. Talon disagreed, but Leia was too stubborn to see that Anakin had come back and that Talon had seen it with his own eyes when he saved Lena from the Force lightning.

The welcome party turned to whisper to each other. "Governor, may I present me and my uncle's escorts first, General Solo. His co-pilot Chewbacca of Kashyyyk. my cousin Princess Cora Organa, my uncle's youngest daughter. Lena Skywalker of Alderaan, Jedi knight and her twin brother, Commander Skywalker of Tatooine, also a Jedi knight," Leia said, making all the introductions.

When Luke and Lena bowed, Nereus's lip curled unpleasantly as he bowed. "Jedi. We'll have to watch ourselves," the man said, his voice dripping with barely concealed malice.

"Yes, Excellency. We mean to reestablish the Old Republic, including the Order of Jedi knights. Commander Skywalker, his sister, and my uncle are heads of the order," Leia said.

"Commander Skywalker and Lena Skywalker. Ah. Now I recognize the names, Commander. Fortunately for you and your sister, Bakura has a good trade balance. You might now for some years there has been a...an astronomical reward offered for your captures. Alive only. That must be something of a distinction among rebel forces," Nereus said, his voice oily and a little too smooth for Talon's liking. Talon gripped Lena's hand tightly.

"We're aware," Lena said quietly.

"And I see two droids. They'll have to be equipped with restraining bolts for the duration of their stay on Bakura," Nereus said as if Lena hadn't said anything.

"We'll see to it. Governor, Alliance forces intercepted your call for assistance. The Imperial Fleet is no longer a presence in this part of the galaxy. We are here to assist you in repelling the invaders. Once that is accomplished, we will leave you. Bakura must choose its own destiny. We will not impose ours upon your...on the Bakuran people," Talon said, correcting himself and layering his voice with the Force. Hopefully the Force would convince the man that he needed their help. Nereus gave a tight smile that looked forced as if he really hated that he had to accept help from the Rebellion and Jedi knights.


	11. Uneasy Feelings

Chapter 11- Uneasy Feelings

Lena didn't like the feelings she was getting through the Force. Something about Nereus she didn't like and from what her father was thinking, he didn't like Nereus either. The smile he gave was insincere and as cold as Hoth, but Lena could see they had no choice but to hear the man out and defend him like they had promised. Two things were certain; he hated rebels and he hated Jedi. Which one he hated more Lena wasn't sure of. But she could be certain that he was corrupt and had no qualms about killing all the Rebel Alliance and every Jedi he saw there, right down to Cora.

Lena stretched out with the Force once again. Nereus was talking to Talon and Leia and Lena got a flicker that this man changed ideologies whenever it suited him to do so. If the alien invaders came tomorrow, he'd sell them out to save his own skin. But if the Rebel Alliance won, then this man would become the most ardent of rebels. "Yeah. He could jump into our camp, all right. Or he could torpedo it. Want to place bets?" Han asked as if he knew what Lena was thinking.

"Probably not, but for someone who doesn't use the Force, you are very astute, Han," Lena said as they entered a shuttlecraft and sat down.

"Your instincts are not usually wrong, Lena. Use the Force, but remember, not at the expense of the moment," Talon warned, touching her face gently with his large rough hand.

"Yes, Papa. Threepio what do Papa and Leia need to know about protocol?" Lena asked the golden droid.

"I'm afraid that is not in my programming, Your Highness. What? Master Luke downloaded the data files from that probe into your memory banks? Why didn't you say so, you overstuffed recycle cylinder?" Threepio asked when Artoo gave a chirp. Threepio was out of sorts since he had been fitted with a restraining bolt and now he sounded like a sulky youngling instead of a droid. Artoo gave a long lengthy reply. "All I am able to ascertain is that Bakura was once governed by a prime minister and senate, but all real authority now rests in the Imperial governorship," Threepio said.

"Tell us something new," Han said. Before Threepio could answer they came to a huge complex.

"This is the Bakur complex," the pilot's aide said, looking at Chewbacca. From what Lena could guess, she had never seen a Wookie before and Chewbacca's height was rather offsetting. "The complex includes guest and resident housing, Imperial offices, a major medical center, and the grand old parkside building that was our seat of government under the Bakur Corporation," the woman said in a rehearsed monotone.

"It's quite impressive," Talon said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the building. Lena had to admit her father was right, but it also was a reminder of what they had to do to sway the Bakurans away from their misplaced trust in Palpatine's Empire.

The air car they were in came to a rooftop landing pad. "The corporation wing of the Bakur Memorial Building was built over a hundred years ago, overlooking Statuary Park at city center. Please remain seated until the car comes to a complete stop," the aide said as Leia got to her feet.

"Wait, Leia." Han said, gripping her arm and pulling her back down into her seat.

Luke got out of his seat and Leia stayed in her seat for a few minutes. "I believe this archway is suitably secure. Still, we must be certain of safety," Threepio said.

"Listen, if they mean to hurt us, then the entire mission has failed," Leia said as she looked around at all of them.

"She's probably right. Also, wouldn't they have done it already?" Lena asked, as she stretched out again with the Force and felt nothing to raise alarm.

Han glanced around. "Right. Okay. On this side, Luke," Han said.

The car came to a stop and they disembarked and entered a spacious complex that had doormen in purple and gold-trimmed doublets and hose. It reminded Lena of her childhood as Princess Lena of Alderaan. They entered a hallway decorated in black carpeting and gold tracery on the walls that crisscrossed to the ceiling. "Red marble," Leia muttered taking in the glowing red columns.

"Worth a fortune if you could smuggle it out," Han said, nodding his head affirmatively. Lena looked over at her father and sister. They both had looks of concentration. They had to be stretching out with the Force to see if something was wrong and like Lena they weren't feeling anything.

The doorman leading them stopped at a gleaming white column. There were sensors in place and four stormtroopers standing guard. Lena felt a surge in the Force, like an adrenaline rush and, judging by the look on her brother's face, Luke was feeling it too. "They're here illegally. We are the galaxy's rightful envoy to Bakura," Leia muttered.

"Tell that to them," Han said as they all looked at the stormtroopers standing guard. Han's look was downright hostile and Lena could hardly blame him. The whole experience with Han being frozen had soured him towards the Empire and it didn't look as if he was going to forgive them any time soon. Lena looked over at Artoo, who's head was spinning around madly.

"Weapons check," a metallic voice said from beside Leia and Lena looked to see a stormtrooper hovering over her sister. "Leave all ordnance in a security locker," the trooper said, indicating lockers across from them that could only be activated by the palm of the hand.

Leia indicated she was carrying no weapons as Luke took his blaster to one of the lockers. "Come on, Han," Luke said. Han went to Luke and put his blaster, his boot knife, the blaster from his wrist sheath, and his vibroknife inside a cubicle of his own, while giving off a murderous glare. Chewbacca was removing his bowcaster when Han turned to him. "Chewie, stay with the locker. Artoo, you too," Han said. To say Chewbacca was relieved to not be going in to the cponference room was an understatement. The Wookie was ecstatic. Chewbacca didn't go for politics and he hated Imperials no less. Leia led them to the door, only to be stopped by the stormtrooper.

"Stop right there. Those are weapons too," the stormtrooper said, indicating Luke's, Talon's, and Lena's lightsabers.

Talon raised his hand and waved it slightly. "These are symbols of honor. Not an offensive weapon. Let them pass," Talon said. Talon didn't normally like doing Jedi-mind tricks any more than Lena did, but they really didn't have time to waste locking up all their weapons and Jedi Knights had a problem with letting go of their weapons.

"Let it pass. I'd leave the droid at the door. Droid malfunctions nearly killed the first crew of Bakuran colonists," the trooper said, indicating Threepio as he recovered from Talon's mind trick.

"Sir, my function is-" Threepio started to say.

"Thank you. Threepio will wait just inside," Leia said firmly; all of them remembering Threepio's restraining bolt.

A doorman opened the door and they all entered. "Senator Princess Leia Organa and her uncle Prince Cail Organa. And...and escorts," the doorman announced. The door then shut on a large room the size of the Alderaanian treasure crypt that was beneath the Aldera palace.


End file.
